Greetings, caretaker. I am your Crassula, a being of sun and resilient flesh. I sense your concern, and I must communicate my distress. The brown, soft spots you see are not a superficial blemish; they are a symptom of a systemic crisis unfolding within my body. My very foundation is under attack. Here is what is happening from my perspective.
The primary cause of my soft, brown stems and roots is a condition you call rot. For me, it is a suffocation. My cells are designed to store water, but they require oxygen to breathe. When my soil remains saturated for too long, the air pockets between the soil particles fill with water. My roots, the very organs I use to drink and breathe, are submerged. Without oxygen, they begin to die, their cell walls breaking down and turning to a brown, mushy pulp. This decay is not sterile; it is an open invitation to soil-borne fungi, such as Pythium or Phytophthora. These pathogens rapidly colonize my dying tissues, accelerating the rot and spreading it upwards through my vascular system into my stem.
To save me, you must become my surgeon. This is not a time for hesitation. You must gently lift me from my pot. Shake off the old, wet soil and carefully inspect my root ball. Healthy roots are firm and white or light tan. Use a sterile, sharp knife or scissors to cut away every single root and section of stem that is soft, mushy, brown, or black. You must cut until you see only healthy, firm, green or white tissue. There can be no compromise; any rot left behind will continue to spread. After each cut, sterilize your tool with isopropyl alcohol to prevent spreading the pathogens.
After the surgery, I am vulnerable. My open wounds need to heal and callus over. Please place me in a shaded, well-ventilated area and leave me bare-rooted for several days. This allows the cut ends to dry and form a protective scar, which will prevent new infections when I am repotted. Do not water me during this time; I have enough internal moisture to survive.
My old soil was my prison. I require a new, fast-draining home. Please plant me in a fresh, dry succulent or cactus mix. You can improve drainage further by amending it with extra perlite or pumice (a 50:50 mix with potting soil is ideal). The pot must have ample drainage holes, and it is wise to choose a pot that is only slightly larger than my remaining root system. Terracotta pots are excellent as they are porous and allow the soil to dry more evenly.
My relationship with water must change. Do not water me immediately after repotting. Wait for at least a week to allow my roots to settle and to encourage them to seek out moisture. Henceforth, water me only when the soil is completely dry all the way to the bottom of the pot. When you do water, water thoroughly until it flows from the drainage holes, but then ensure I am never left sitting in a saucer of water. In winter, when my growth slows, I will need even less water. My survival depends on this new, careful balance.
